The Lush Chef

Libations used: 1 bottle white wine, 4 oz brandy
Libations left over: None
It's time to hit the pool or the beach.  The Lush Chef has once again picked up an over-abundance of peaches from the farmers market that she will not be able to eat fast enough.  What's a girl to do?  Make sangria, of course.  Living in Southern California, I actually drink sangria all year-round with the Lush Chef Taste Testers, and it's almost always the red kind.  That summer crop of peaches, however, calls for white wine sangria.  Your mother will be proud that you're getting your daily fruit intake too.

There's no real science to making sangria - wine, fruit, some other libation like vodka, gin, brandy, cognac, tequila (whatever you've got!), let it stew for a few hours and you're done.  So this recipe is really just a starting point.  Feel free to experiment, add your favorite fruits, use whatever cheap wine you can find and finish with any libation you desire.  I like to also add fresh herbs to my sangria for added color, so I tossed in some basil.

White Wine Sangria with Peaches - serves 4-6

• 1 bottle white wine - something light, crisp and fruity like a pinot grigio, riesling, sauvignon blanc.  I actually used a moscato I had on hand because I wanted something already sweet and not bother with adding extra sugar.
• 2 yellow peaches, chopped
• 1 medium sized orange,  sliced into small wedges
• 1 small lemon, sliced into small wedges
• 4 oz brandy
• 1/2 cup club soda
• 6-8 large basil leaves - chiffonade

- Combine above ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Serve in a glass over ice.